


Not A Nurturing Bone In Her Body

by spinsters_grave



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron)-centric, Burn Worms (no not Burn Worms), Long Ass Titles for EVERYONE (kill me why did i think that was a good idea), Rude Ass Letters, Zarkon has a son, slight Alfor/Coran if you tilt your head towards the sun, this wasn't supposed to be so sad!! Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 18:53:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8545171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinsters_grave/pseuds/spinsters_grave
Summary: An exploration of Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, Future Paladin and Defender of the Universe, and the Future of Altea and her actions before the Fall of Altea.





	

Allura was presented on the Binaural Day of the Quintillion Quadrant, on the Fourteen Hundredth Solar Rotation, by her father, King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea, third ruler in his line, Yellow Paladin, Defender of the Universe, and the War and Peace King, as Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, fourth ruler in her line, future Paladin and Defender of the Universe, the Future of Altea, daughter of Alladosia Atramschild of Altea, Chosen Consort of King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea.

 

She was presented in front of a crowd of millions, held aloft by her father as a small child not weighing five stones. A ring of important figures made speeches praising her father, her mother, Altea, Altea’s allies, and the future Allura will usher in as the fourth ruler of her unbroken, royal line, filled with peace and prosperity. 

 

There was a party, as there always was.

 

Allura didn’t weigh five stones. That wasn’t the time or weight to catch memories. Her father, King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea, would catch enough memories for the both of them to share when she grows up, as would many others, Advisors and Consorts to the King and Dignitaries from Other Planets and the Common People, which was what Allura would ask about most when she grows.

 

She grew.

 

When Allura was ten stones, Allodosia Atramschild of Altea, Chosen Consort of King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea and mother to the Future of Altea, Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, died, leaving the royal family and Altea and Altea’s Allies in mourning for fifteen Solar Rotations, and when they finally left mourning, Princess Allura was forty-five stones and too young to catch any memories of her mother. 

 

When she was thirty stones, Princess Allura asked her father, “Why is everyone in the castle so sad?”

 

King Alfor Aldenschild, Yellow Paladin, Defender of the Universe, the War and Peace King, found that his throat was closing and he could not find the words to describe his feeling of loss. He watched his daughter watch him with wide eyes and expectant posture, tugging on the end of his robe, and watched as her expression changed from expectant to confused to closed off and disappointed. Alfor watched as she turned her little head away, clouds of sadness and anger reaching across her mind. The interaction was caught and would stay with Allura and her father forever.

 

She kept growing.

 

When Allura was fifty stones and out of mourning, King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea brought her to the Alden Ananschild National Forest, when she hadn’t stepped foot out of the Castle of Lions for fifteen Solar Rotations in accordance to the rules of mourning. It was life-changing for a fifty stone child, to say the least, and Princess Allura was changed. Her father noticed her face lighten up the moment she stepped into the field of juniberries, and sensing the princess, they erupted into bloom and released a cloud of pollen. 

 

Princess Allura, acting very un-princess like, to the note of the sniffy Advisors to the King, yelled in excitement and ran into the field, spinning in joy and watching the juniberry flowers release their sweet, sweet scent into the air. 

 

King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea, third of his line, Yellow Paladin and Defender of the Universe and the War and Peace King, stepped out of his titles, and Alfor went to run with his daughter in the field of sweet, sweet juniberries.

 

When Princess Allura was sixty five stones, the Dignitary of Puillen brought his child with him on a trip to Altea to play with Princess Allura, hoping to forge a connection between Altea and Puillen through the children of the two leaders. 

 

When the Dignitary’s Child ran crying back to his father, complaining about the Bossy Princess Who Didn’t Let Him Play With Her Toys, the Dignitary gathered his escorts and left in a huff, writing a letter half a Solar Rotation later, explaining to King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea the utter rudeness and lack of discipline that was the example shown to the people of Puillen in the form of Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea. “She will make a superb leader,” the Dignitary wrote, “No doubt in my mind. However, Altean children such as Allura must be taught kindness and fairness so that when they mature, these lessons are ingrained in them and they can become better leaders and mothers for it. Allura, alas, has already missed the stage in her life when such lessons are useful, and I fear that she will never become a nurturing mother.”

 

King Alfor hid the letter from his daughter for as long as he could, but sixty five stones was a pesky age, and the Princess found out soon enough. She fought with her father, the closest thing to fight with because the Dignitary from Puillen was already very far away and she wouldn’t have been able to fight with him anyways.

 

Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, fourth of her line, Future Paladin and Defender of the Universe, the Future of Altea, stepped out of her titles and said, “I know you think the same things he does, Dad! That I’ll never be a good mother  _ or  _ a good leader!”

 

King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea, third of his line, Yellow Paladin and Defender of the Universe, the War and Peace King, wrapped his titles around him like a shield and said, “Princess Allura, I find your actions at this moment to be unwise and unkind. I recommend that you take some time off to think about your plan of attack, or I might find myself agreeing with the Dignitary of Puillen and your careless statement.”

 

Allura stared at her father, the memory caught and kept. “Dad,” she whispered, and that was the last time he ever heard his daughter speak in such a tender and emotional manner.

 

She grew.

 

King Alfor found Advisor Coran Riedenschild of Altea a most pleasing partner to be with. It helped that the man was close to Allura, too. Ever since the Dignitary of Puillen’s letter, Princess Allura Alforschild was distant from her father, and moody to boot. She had found friendship with the Advisors of the Castle of Lions, and solace with them instead of her Father when letters from other Ambassadors and Dignitaries and Planets came rolling in. Princess Allura did not confront her father anymore when she read the letters, choosing to be mature about their words, choosing to use them like fortifications against each other and to keep in her feelings about the whole matter.

 

The first time King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea received a letter praising his daughter’s natural ability to lead and command her people, he held a feast in her honor. The Dignitary of Puillen and his son were invited, but in a shocking twist of diplomacy, he didn’t deign to show up. Princess Allura would remember that as the first political dissidence she would ever witness.

 

It was the first time she had ever seen the Black Paladin, Defender of the Universe, Emperor Zarkon the Great of the Galra Empire. She liked his armor, but kept it to herself. Allura wondered why Zarkon didn’t have a family name. She wondered if he didn’t have a family. She wondered if he just sprang into existence at the beginning of time- it had happened before, in Altean mythology- the goddess Mikael sprang from the first ray of starlight to reach the planet. 

 

Allura was eighty stones and reaching full maturity. Emperor Zarkon the Great of the Galra Empire had brought his son, Prince Lotor Zarkonson of the Galra Empire, to the grand feast. Allura liked his purple fur and the fact that he seemed more mature than anyone else in the room. He had a sort of gravity to him, a term that Altean scientists were learning about- the theory that things made out of mass had a certain attraction to them. The bigger the mass, the more the attraction. Princess Allura would have to use Prince Lotor as a counterexample to the scientists- despite being small, he definitely had attraction. Princess Allura felt herself drawn to him, even as they sat on opposite sides of the feasting hall.

 

She looked up from her plate to look at the Prince, who seemed flustered at whipped his head down to play with his food. His attendant (the five Paladins, Defenders of the Universe, had their own special table) smacked him upside the head and scolded him, as far as Princess Allura could tell.

 

She bit her lip and caught the memory. 

 

There were a couple speeches given about her, by her father and then by Advisor to the King Coran Riedenschild, who she knew had been working on some important speech, but she never dreamed it would be for her.

 

“Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, Future Paladin and Defender of the Universe, and the Future of Altea, is my dear friend and comfort. My princess is kind, loyal, and intelligent. She will become a flourishing leader in her own day, and I am so proud to be one of her future subjects,” Coran announced. “She is a sterling example to any young leader, Altean or otherwise.”

 

Advisor Coran Riedenschild speech was filmed and placed onto the InterPlanet Net, where it became a hit and took the galaxy by storm. Princess Allura captured every single positive comment she found. 

 

“He must really love her… I’m so proud that our princess has someone so supportive of her in her life.” 

 

“Coran’s such a kind man. He’s liek a cool space uncle we could all adopt, I guess, something like that.”

 

“I can’t wait to be Princess Allura’s subject too, if she’s really like how he describes her.”

 

Whenever Allura thought about them, a soft smile would come to her face, no matter where she was. There was one time when she was being yelled at by several Advisors to the King, and to escape, she thought about the comments and the other parts of that night, like Prince Lotor Zarkonson of the Galra Empire. They yelled at her more for not taking them seriously, and the letters came pouring in to her father.

 

Princess Allura ignored them like she ignored the idiots behind them, but she did start to act recklessly.

 

When she was ninety stones, her father decided that Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea was ready for some royal duties, to start her to her glorious destiny. He placed her into the Department of Altean Planetwide Agriculture as an Executive Board Member. The DAPA were currently in a small crisis- on the Southern-Western Hemisphere of the planet, several species of edible and non-edible plants were falling to a disease known as the Wandering Burn. Princess Allura suggested that a section of funding go to scientists to isolate the disease and find a cure. The movement passed, mostly because she was the Princess of Altea and would one day be their ruler. 

 

The Wandering Burn spread further over the Southern-Western Hemisphere. The DAPA and Princess Allura decided that there must be something in the soil, and sent a squadron that consisted of a Board Member, several soldiers, and fifteen scientists to what they approximated as the source of the Wandering Burn.

 

The squadron came back with a worm as long as the shortest soldier’s arm (but the soldier was five feet eleven), with teeth designed to cut into plants and flesh alike. The worm was encased in its own shield to prevent anything from escaping or anything from touching it. 

 

One of the scientists showed the Board Members an image of the farm where the worm was extracted- the plants were withered and bone white, the soil was clay like and hard, and any animals within a mile- including the farmer- were drained of blood, the likely cause the worms. Princess Allura looked away when she saw bite marks on the torso of the farmer.

 

She headed the operation to eliminate the so-called ‘Burn Worms’ from the Southern-Western Hemisphere. Princess Allura showed a ruthless attitude in eliminating the worms, and when questioned by reporters, she commented, “I will not show any mercy to enemies of my people, whether they are outside invaders or a parasite within. I live for the safety and healthiness of my people, who will one day be my responsibility. If that means I must eliminate a few worms along the way, then so be it.”

 

The interview became a hit on the InterPlanet Net, much like Advisor Coran’s speech about her. Princess Allura had no idea that the universe-wide public had so much interest in the politics of Altea, but upon further thought, she realized that every decision she made had an impact on her people’s lives and the lives of every citizen in relation to Altea. It was a sobering thought, to say the least. It was a life-changing realization for Princess Allura. 

 

Headlines came pouring in.

 

“Burn Worm From Galra Empire?”

 

“Scientists Release Evidence Linking Galra Empire and Burn Worm”

 

“What Did The Galra Empire Plan To Do With The Release Of Several Burn Worms Into Altean Soil?”

 

“The Galra Empire Denies All Claims Associating Them To Burn Worm”

 

“‘The Galra Empire Are Our Allies,’ King Alfor Says”

 

Princess Allura was interviewed again. “For the moment, we must consider the fact that every individual has their own opinion,” she said. “While the entire Galra Empire, in name, is on our side, that does not mean that every single Galra citizen wants to have an alliance with us Alteans. I am sure that Emperor Zarkon is searching within his own ranks to figure out who sent the Burn Worm.”

 

“Emperor Zarkon the Great of the Galra Empire is Claiming Full Responsibility to the Burn Worm,” headlines screamed at Princess Allura seven days later.

 

“Black Lion Disowns Her Paladin,” headlines screamed two days after that.

 

King Alfor desperately tried to contact Zarkon. Without him, the super-weapon Voltron could not be formed, and the universe would be in great peril.

 

Zarkon assembled his troops. The remaining Paladins, the last line of defense against the Forces of Evil- now with the face of the Galra Empire plastered onto it, a permanent connotation in Allura’s mind- assembled their lions.

 

King Alfor took Princess Allura aside and threw off his titles. “My daughter,” he said, “if I don’t make it out of here, I want you to know what you are the most capable leader this planet has ever seen. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If I don’t make it out of here, I want you to know that despite what they say, our people will follow your command. If I don’t make it out of here, Allura, I want you to lead Voltron, my daughter, my prodigy, my progeny, my child.”

 

Allura cried and nodded, and she and her father walked into the command center, where Advisor Coran was waiting.

 

“Our military is in sad repair,” he said in his peculiar accent, serious as the day is long. “Generations of the lions being united meant that we thought we didn’t need any sort of backup. Without Voltron, we’re never going to win this.”

 

King Alfor didn’t let Coran’s words impact him. “We’ll do our best with what we have,” he growled. “We still have three lions.”

 

Allura looked at him nervously. “Four,” she whispered.

 

Alfor looked back at her. “Three,” he responded. “I’m staying up here to help you two protect our planet.”

 

At that moment, a  _ boom _ rocked the castle. The three Alteans- the only ones in the room, Allura suddenly noticed- looked out the panoramic windows, which usually showed expanses of stars and galaxies but which now showed three tiny mechanical lions overwhelmed by the Galra forces. One by one, they were sucked away by corrupted wormholes- superior technology that Allura had never seen before. Coran and Alfor looked at each other, the battle already lost in their eyes.

 

Alfor turned to Allura. “My daughter,” he said. “I love you.”

 

Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea, fourth ruler in her line, Future Paladin and Defender of the Universe, and the Future of Altea, child of King Alfor Aldenschild of Altea, third ruler in his line, Yellow Paladin, Defender of the Universe, and the War and Peace King and Alladosia Atramschild of Altea, Chosen Consort to the King, looked at her father as her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too,” she told him like it was a secret between them held forever.

 

King Alfor slumped in his chair. “We’re not going to win this,” he whispered.

 

Coran put his face in his hands. “There has to be something we can do.”

 

King Alfor shook his head and seemed to come to a decision. “There is another way for us to survive,” he said. “This castle is an amazing piece of technology. It will last until the war with Zarkon is over, won’t it, Coran?”

 

Coran nodded, his face hard and concentrated. “Yes, my grandfather and I built it ourselves. It will last as long as it needs to. Thousands, millions of Solar Rotations- I’m sure it will.”

 

Alfor nodded. “More than we need. Allura, my precious daughter-”

 

Allura cut him off. “No, father, no- I don’t know what you’re planning, but I know it will separate us- and I’ve only just got you back-”

 

Coran yelped, “We’ve got some ships up! I’m sending them out now, Alfor- we might have a chance to fight back!”

 

With a background of explosions and death, in their protected, air-cooled room, Alfor cradled his daughter’s face in his hands. “My darling,” he confessed, “For the sake of Altea, for our countless generations to come, for the triumph of good over evil- you are our future. Never forget that. You have to live so that Altea lives with you. No matter what- even if I die, even if our planet dies, even when you lose hope that tomorrow will come- you must live and see the rise of Altea again, Princess Allura Alforschild of Altea. My child. Promise me.”

 

Allura put her hand over her father’s, keeping it as close to her as possible. “I promise,” she croaked out. “I, Allura Alforschild of Altea, your child- I promise to stay alive and to see the bright new dawn of Altea’s future, my future, and countless generation’s futures.”

 

Alfor looked into her eyes, then leaned down and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “I love you,” he whispered, as her eyes fell shut and she slowly, as if in a dream, collapsed. Maybe that’s what it was- all just a bad dream.

 

Ten thousand Solar Rotations later, it wasn’t a bad dream.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't edited by anyone, including me, so if there are any mistakes, feel free to point them out!
> 
> This author lives for comments


End file.
